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When Beauty Broke Through
“Beauty will save the world” Fyodor Dostoevsky This is a story that didn’t begin so well. It begins with a family of 8 on a bus, weaving around narrow highways to reach the top of a mountain. Don’t get me wrong. The views were fantastic, and it was the only way to get to the top of this mountain without paying an arm and a leg for a 5 minute cable car ride. But I happened to be in the front of the bus with the little guy and the rest of my family was in back — growing ever more nauseous as the bus twisted and turned around the…
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The Power of Beauty in Times of Darkness
I have a feeling that when God made Ireland, He knew that the Irish would have the rain and dark winters and melancholic temperaments to contend with — and so He made Ireland amazingly, shockingly, jaw-droppingly beautiful. I am sure He knew that they would need this beauty to give them hope throughout centuries of oppression that they would face. I have no doubt He intended to use this beauty to draw them closer to Him as they walked these paths and fields, climbed these mountains and descended these valleys. I am pretty sure God was whispering “I am here and you mean everything to me” when He formed this…
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Barcelona: Gaudi, Works in Progress and the Sacrada Familia
“A church is the only thing worthy of representing the soul of a people, for religion is the most elevated reality in man”. ~Antoni Gaudi~ Gaudi is arguably one of the most famous architects of modern times. No doubt, his greatest work of architecture is the Sacrada Familia. It is one of the most thought-provoking, awe-inspiring churches I have ever visited. If you ever find yourself in Barcelona, it is a must-see for the Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Gaudi was not the original architect, but he quickly became chief architect and visionary for this ambitious project. No doubt, Gaudi was the man for the job. He was highly sought…
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Barcelona: Gaudi, Failure, and Being the Light
My last post was not a very pleasant picture of Barcelona. Stolen wallets, the darkness we felt, and a close call with terrorists isn’t likely to be linked to by the Barcelona tourism board any time soon. 🙁 So it might surprise you that if asked whether or not I would recommend a visit to Barcelona, I would most definitely say it is a worthwhile place to visit. Honestly, the darker moments were really good moments for all of us. They left us with the conviction that we must try our best to be the light in the world. And let’s be honest — often our best is pretty darn…
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Helping Our Kids Encounter Beauty
In last week’s post, Beauty Will Save the World. I shared why Beauty is the antidote to all the evil and ugly in our world. This week is more about the “how” to bring beauty into the lives of your kids on the daily. It will look different in every family, but I always appreciate seeing other peoples approaches to things that matter. Hopefully you do too! Without further ado, I offer you my 7 suggestions for helping kids to encounter beauty. ~1~ Is it Bad to Shelter Your Kids? Right up front I’d like to respond to two objections I hear out there in the world. The first is…
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Beauty Will Save the World
“Beauty will save the world.” F. DOSTOYEVSKY, The Idiot Recently I found myself sitting in a faculty concert of some amazing musicians — it was such a gift. I just sat there and was transported to another place — a beautiful place. I found myself being overwhelmed by beauty — in a good way. It was a good moment — a series of good moments, really. It restored my mind and soul after a hectic week. It reminded me of the importance of beauty. Beauty — it’s important. It can lift a soul out of the depths of despair. It can satisfy our deepest desires in this life. It’s a foretaste of Heaven, and…
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Moths, Momming, and Storing Up Treasure in Heaven
As some of you know, I am trying to make Sunday mornings a little less stressful by leaving for Church on time — it’s going as well as could be expected. Trying to be patient with myself, because old habits die hard. 🙁 For the past few months, one of the causes of starting off on the wrong foot on a Sunday morning (besides my poor planning) has involved throwing on one of my go-to sweaters for Sunday Mass — only to realize that there was a very noticeable hole in it. 🙁 At first, I didn’t think much of it — I didn’t have time to think about it — but after a few Sunday’s of finding holes…
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Florence: What Art, Beauty, and Naked Statues Have to Do with Being Catholic
“This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair”. ~John Paul II, Letter to Artists~ One of the reasons I love being around kids is that they ask the honest questions that adults are too afraid to ask. When traveling to Florence with kids, a question that will almost inevitably come up is, “Why so many naked people?” I’m not talking about the people passing by, but everywhere you look — in churches, piazzas, and museums — there are naked people depicted in very life-like reality. It might surprise you that the Church was one of the greatest patrons of the arts — and without the Church,…
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Mother Teresa: Why Beauty Matters
You may know this already, but Mother Teresa is being canonized in Rome this September. Granted, it’s one of those “um, yeah, we all knew she’s a Saint” kind of canonizations, but it’s still a really important moment in the Church. I mean, if this little old nun who literally picked dying people off the streets of India, removed maggots from wounds, offered the sacraments, fed the hungry, and allowed the poor and forgotten to die with dignity and joy — if this woman isn’t a Saint, well then there’s very little hope for us, amiright? I mean, we should give up right now…because I still grimace and moan about my three years olds dirty…
